From TikTok to the trenches – the US army is selling Gen Z stability through influencers
The US Army is turning to social media influencers to reach Gen Z – marketing military life as adventure, discipline, and certainty in an unstable world.
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The US Army is turning to social media influencers to reach Gen Z – marketing military life as adventure, discipline, and certainty in an unstable world.
Locking down a job and staying on a career path might not be something usually associated with Gen Z, but in an increasingly unstable world, institutions like the US Army are turning to social media influencers to coax new hires into signing up.
With almost 4 million unemployed males in the US – and just shy of 3.5 million females – the army is targeting that audience on social media for recruitment, especially given that unemployment looks set to swell further.
Flexing for Freedom
Take fitness influencer Steven Kelly, who has 1.3 million Instagram followers and often posts photos in fatigues, climbing rope walls, and aiming a rifle.
You’d think he was a recruitment officer, but he isn’t enlisted – the post was sponsored by the US Army to showcase basic training.
The caption promises “readiness, resilience, and discipline,” directing followers to learn more about enlistment opportunities.
It looks like cosplay content, but it’s the US Army sliding into the influencer space.
Partnerships now include chefs like Robert Irvine and extreme sports enthusiasts like Breannah Yeh.
These kinds of endorsements stretch the brand of the US Army beyond the trenches and into subconscious feeds.
Reels and ranks
The Army is selling an aspirational identity much like lifestyle brands – discipline, adventure, self-improvement And it’s not only influencers on the periphery of the forces that are being used.
Even existing soldiers like Tyler Butterworth – Sergeant First Class of the Virginia National Guard – post comedic and recruiting-style videos on TikTok and YouTube. In one video, Butterworth asks, “Sometimes it feels like a TV show. Why not make one?”
The battlefield for Gen Z attention now isn’t the classroom or the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program – it’s the algorithm.
@butterworthdasyrup Sometimes it feels like a TV Show. Why not make one? #miltok #theoffice #comedyonly #army #sergeantmajor ♬ original sound - Tyler Butterworth
By using humour and authenticity as a bridge, the army is positioning military life as an adventurous, relatable experience.
From algorithm to army
Between 2020 and 2023, the Army repeatedly missed its recruitment goals because the pandemic disrupted exposure to ROTC programs and recruiter visits in schools.
Recruitment is now rebounding, with 61,000 new recruits in June 2025 – four months ahead of schedule – though the comeback began before Trump’s Riyadh boasts, when he claimed enlistment was at its highest point in 30 years.
The Army is selling certainty to a generation facing job insecurity, housing crises, and climate anxiety – presenting steady pay, healthcare, and structure as a lifestyle choice.
This is sure to raise debate regarding the ethics of propaganda, but is it any different from seeing TV advertisements, such as the British Army, when they used to invite you to “be the best?”
Perhaps these days, armies are attempting to be more inclusive.
Likes for life
Critics argue that influencer posts glamorize military service, calling them “propaganda,” while wealthy influencers profit from experiences that most recruits will actually risk years of their lives for.
Veterans for Peace warn of the dangers of a skewed perception of the forces.
Very often, the public's perception of the military lifestyle is limited to what they've seen on the news, TV, or video games.Veterans for Peace
The Army is engaging in high-stakes marketing – governments already use influencers for voting or vaccine campaigns, but selling military service carries far higher ethical stakes.
Grassroots military creators produce TikToks that poke fun at life in the service and debunk Hollywood myths – making them feel more authentic than the polished Army influencer collabs.
The underlying message is clear – the Army is selling belonging and stability rather than pure adventure, which some find irresistible, while others see it as propaganda in camouflage.